I, Don Giovanni

Richard Jones' Movie Review

WHEN the great composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart wrote his opera Don Giovanni he engaged the librettist Lorenzo da Ponte.

Da Ponte was something of an unusual choice. He was the protégé of the great libertine, Casanova, or so the folklore goes.

The route Spanish director Carlos Saura takes us to the eventual staging of Mozart’s opera starts two decades earlier.

The librettist da Ponte (Lorenzo Balducci) is living in Venice. He’s a close friend of Casanova (Tobias Moretti), but despite his earlier career as a priest finds himself exiled from Venice because of his licentious behavior.

Da Ponte ends up in Vienna in 1781 collaborating with Mozart (Lino Guanciale). Casanova had engineered the meeting between the two through the Viennese court’s in-house composer Salieri.

As Mozart and da Ponte go to work on the new opera, it becomes clear that even though the fictional Don Giovanni is the key character, he’s really modelled on Casanova.Composer and librettist get down to work. Mozart is plagued by ill health while da Ponte has some competing, romantic interests in his life.

Besotted by the beautiful Annetta (Emilia Verginelli) he also has a couple of demanding divas to contend with, not to mention Casanova’s treacherous wheelings and dealings.

Da Ponte’s problems with Annetta are of his own making. Aware of his reputation she is determined not to just become another one of his trophies.

Mozart also has a problem. His is one of perception. Just how are his audiences going to take to Don Giovanni.

The opera’s central character is a thoroughly modern man  -- a free thinker who defies God and organized religion.

Well folks,

Things often seem to go in threes and my visit yesterday to my hematologist saw me redirected to a heart specialist , presumably to see what strength of “zapping” I might be able to absorb in the coming week

The heart specialist told me in very clear terms that I have a very “dicky ticker” (with full acknowledgment of “Allo Allo’s” references to “dicky tickers”).

This has come as a surprise as, throughout my life,  I have always enjoyed a lot more puff than my peers . The analogy with an eight cylinder car has me running on two and I now know why, lately, I have had a few giddy fits.

So we have a twelve month old undiagnosed mass in the throat which is interfering with a vocal chord (no voice), a smouldering myeloma which has suddenly become a multiple myeloma (for which I have been pretty thoroughly zapped and fed tonnes of tablets) and now a “dicky ticker” for which I am likely to be carrying around metal which will set off the airport security systems from here on in.

Apart from that, the world doesn’t seem such a bad place and I have to thank Janelle and Marcelle for being able to say that seriously….very attentive and covering the many bases which I am now not even getting close to.

You can probably imagine how comfortable I am not being in control.

I will be in the Wesley for the coming week – starting 4.00pm Monday. Probably a good idea to be in touch with Janelle if you are contemplating visits.

BOHLENS GO ON MYSTERY TOUR

Diane (Speakman 62/63) and Bill Bohlen were recently invited on a mystery tour, here is Diane's report:

We were invited to join a group on friends to go on a tour to celebrate two birthdays. One of the group organised the trip but kept the destinations a secret, so we didn't know where we were going until we got there. Fun! Fun! Fun!
Here are some of the places we visited:

Gympie

Maryborough

Bargara

Town of 1770 and Bustard Bay

Cania Gorge

Carnarvon Gorge

Bunya Mountains

Somerset Dam.

BILL WELBOURNE WINGS AWAY

I am nervously packing for my trip to Canada that my mate in the UK asked me to organize. I met him years ago while teaching at Brisbane Boys' College while he was on exchange. Of course we've retired from teaching now but we're both busy. He works part time as a sports journalist and announcer for BBC Radio Jersey. I want to get stuck into writing but at the moment I'm researching as much as possible on New Guinea history. I now have quite a library of books I've ordered over the net, at least 18 and quite a few $$$$ but keeps me busy and entertained... but more importantly out of mischief!

Richard has a ski lodge in Colorado and suggested we dump our gear there and take a trip. I suggested we head for Canada, travel 'light' and go there first to take in the Calgary Stampede... chuck waggon races, rodeo etc...Richard wanted to wait until the W Cup Soccer Finals so then due to time constraints, we had to  fly  direct to Canada in order to get to the Stampede. Then we take a trip over the Rockies to Vancouver by bus, train and helicopter. Then up to Whistler and over to Vancouver Island. After taking in the Butchard Gardens we travel by ferry to Seattle. We then fly to Denver and over to the Ski lodge to scout about for a week ,but no skiing as it's summer..... finally home on 6th August. Well that's the plan  ( all done over the net, so hopefully all goes well.)

The Kesby's are away

Dave and Elissa Kesby are on the way to Europe..

Before they left, they advised the following:

On Friday Elissa & I head for the airport to catch a business  class trip to Dubai  on the 380 (sounds good doesn?t it)..what really happens is we wait around and if there is any room in business left over ..we get it No room left they offer us a seat in economy..no room there..we go to cheap hotel around Mascot and try to catch  a 777 in the morning....all planes look full so it?s a lucky dip.

On the too much information department..we are going to a wedding for an old teaching mate of mine from Galston High where I worked from 1977 til 1988. He is 54 and this is his first marriage .The wedding will be held at Rochester Cathedral, the second oldest Cathedral in England .It was established in 604AD by Bishop Justice ( I knew you wanted to know that)  there are 100 people going to the wedding ... 86 pommes and 14 aussies..so I hope we fit in   a few ?no worries Digger? and? stone the crows? might go down all right but then again it  mightn?t.

After that we catch a bus to Scotland.. have  4 or 5 days in Edinburgh and then get a car and have look around  the Scottish Highlands for 7 or 8 days and end up back in Glasgow where Elissa has arranged for us to go to some pubs and listen to some old fashion rock ?n? roll and blues ...I sincerely hope we don’t get our heads punched in but Elissa is cool.

After that a side trip to France for a couple of days and then back home via Dubai..so now you know.